Historic Sydney Hotel in Line for $16m Renovation

An historic hotel in one of Sydney’s blue chip suburbs is slated for a revamp after Winim Developments filed plans for an $16-million renovation and extension.

Glenferrie Lodge hotel, built in 1907 in Kirribilli, 3km north of the CBD, is in line for a facelift. 

No stranger to adaptive reuse, Winim Developments is hoping to give the two four-storey heritage buildings a new lease on life with the addition of a five-storey extension behind the hotel. 

The renovation will halve the number of hotel rooms while adding in a day spa, basement level car park, and three three-bedroom apartments and a single four-bedroom apartment. 

Winim acquired the site last year and managing director Justin Kuiters said the team was excited to create “something truly unique for the area and breathing new life into this grand heritage building”.

“12 Carabella Street is a great example of Winim’s keen interest in the adaptive re-use of sites with heritage value,” Kuiters said.

“The street-facing heritage building will be retained and given a new lease on life, while a discrete modern structure sympathetic to the site will be added to the rear. 

▲ A complementary materials palette has been selected to celebrate the history of the hotel.

The Rothelowman-designed renovation and extension would require the demolition of the modern extension, and internal walls that were not heritage. According to the architectural statement the new extension has been “carefully scaled and placed to complement the existing heritage building”.

“The design approach sought to create a contemporary building, that takes from the heritage scale—small, narrow footprints, with a strong vertical expression and scaling,” the report said.

“The new wings take from the colour tones, and textures of the existing heritage buildings and remakes them in a harmonious, but contrasting new form. 

“Re-imagined as a contemporary lightweight form, the transparency, and textured operability creates a contemporary form that doesnt challenge the heritage form, instead enhancing it.”

According to planning documents, the existing buildings date back to 1907 and 1916, with additions in the 1960s and 1990s. It has operated as a hotel since 1950. 

The suburb is also home to Kirribilli House, the secondary official residence of the Prime Minister of Australia.

Winim has another luxury hotel makeover under way in Newcastle.